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‘I Knew Something Was Wrong': Bella Bond's Father Testifies

The mother of Bella Bond concluded her testimony Thursday, and the 2-year-old girl's biological father took the stand for the first time.

Rachelle Bond, 41, pleaded guilty in February to being an accessory after the fact for helping her boyfriend dispose of her daughter’s body after he allegedly beat her to death. Bond testified under a plea deal with prosecutors.

The boyfriend, Michael McCarthy, 37, is accused of fatally punching Bond’s daughter in the stomach in 2015 after she wouldn’t go to bed. The little girl’s body was thrown into the water and later found washed ashore on Deer Island stuffed in a plastic bag.

Rachelle Bond's testimony Thursday centered around texts she sent to McCarthy months before her daughter's death, a meme she posted to Facebook, and an internet search she conducted thrree months after her daughter was found dead, seeking legal representation. It was her fifth day on the stand.

Bella Bond's biological father, Joe Amoroso, took the stand following Rachelle Bond.

He testified that he "flipped out" when Rachelle Bond told him about their daughter's death. He said Bond was talking about Bella as if she were still alive.

"I knew something was wrong. Something wasn't right," he said. "I just didn't know what it was."

Court adjourned for the day just before 1 p.m. Amoroso is expected to continue his testimony on Friday.

On Wednesday, McCarthy's defense continued to pluck away at inconsistencies with Rachelle Bond's stories throughout the investigation, including why she never called 911 to report that McCarthy allegedly killed Bella.

Bond claims that she did not tell anyone about her daughter’s death because she was afraid of McCarthy. She also claims her memory during that time is hazy because of drug use following her daughter’s death.

"Michael killed Bella, he knew what he did to her," Bond said on the stand.

McCarthy’s defense team also focused on her social media history, including her posting a meme that read “I know how to hide a dead body.”

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McCarthy's attorney Jonathan Shapiro questioned Bond about McCarthy's alleged obsession with the supernatural and demons, including how Bond said McCarthy convinced her that her daughter was cold and evil.

The trial started May 30 and is expected to last several weeks.

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